Marble game with moving target

ABSTRACT

A game played with rolling bodies such as marbles and the like, the marbles being rolled along a track, under an end of which is suspended a swinging receptacle or basket to catch only those marbles which are caused to fall from the end of the track at a time to reach the basket directly below the end of the track as it swings to-and-fro through such position.

United States Patent Habash [72] Inventor: Nanum G. l-labash, 15249 S. Van-Ness,

Gardena, Calif. 90249 [22] Filed: Mar. 16, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 19,901

[52] US. Cl. ..273/10l, 273/105 R [51 ..A63b 63/04 [58] Field ofSearch ..273/95 R, 102 R, 105 R, 101, 273/1052, 120

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS g V M 1,369,556 2/1921 Seraphine ..273/120 R 3,111,319 11/1963 Ellman ..273/101 MARBLE GAME WITH MOVING TARGET Feb. 22, 1972 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind Attorney.lohn l-loltrichter, Jr.

ABSTRACT A game played with rolling bodies such as marbles and the like, the marbles being rolled along a track, under an end of which is suspended a swinging receptacle or basket to catch only those marbles which are caused to fall from the end of the track at a time to reach the basket directly below the end of the track as it swings to-and-fro through such position.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBZZ I972 13, 643.949

Namcm G. Hobosh,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

MARBLE GAME WITH MOVING TARGET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The background of the invention will be set forth in two parts.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention pertains generally to the field of games and more particularly to games of skill played with a device.

2. Description of the Prior Art The use of devices to play games is well known. Many of these devices utilize such implements as marbles or other rolling bodies. In those devices using marbles, most involve the projecting of the marbles either through the air or along paths having numerous obstacles placed therealong.

Generally, these devices include a marble-projecting mechanism and the skill involved in playing the game is learning how far to pull a plunger or an arm or strike a lever against the bias force of a spring. Although these games provide amusement and require the development of a skill, they are rather complicated and are comparatively expensive to manufacture and assemble and do not develop a skill related to timing of operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic of amusement devices, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new game device construction not subject to the disadvantages enumerated above and having a rolling body track and swinging receptacle suspended therebelow to develop a skill in timing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an amusement device not requiring complicated and costly to construct projecting mechanisms.

It is also another object of the invention to provide a very simple amusement device which may be played by an individual and also in groups of any number.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an amusement device having either a single marble track and swinging basket or having two or more adjacent tracks with associated baskets or receptacles.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an amusement device utilizing rolling bodies such as marbles and the like including track means including a rolling body track having an initiating end and a terminating end for guiding the rolling bodies thereby. Suspended directly below the terminating end of the rolling body track is receptacle means including a rolling body receptacle, the rolling body receptacle being swing able to-and-fro along an arc having its origin at the terminating end.

The features of the present invention which believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to like elements in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial view of a second embodiment of the invention wherein manual means is provided for swinging the baskets; and

FIG. 3 is a partial view of still another embodiment of the invention which utilizes electrical or mechanical motor means to swing the baskets.

With reference now to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown an amusement device 11 utilizing rolling bodies such as marbles 13 for rolling along separate tracks 15 in a roof 17 of a game structure 19. This structure also includes four leg members 21 and conventional leg brac' ing which may take the form of a marble return tray 23.

Below the terminating ends 25 of the tracks 15 are suspended receptacles or baskets 27 using cords 29 of any suitable material such as flexible wire, thread, string, etc. Two of the cords 29 are attached to opposite sides of the baskets 27 and to the terminating edge 31 of the roof 17 by conventional means such as adhesives, staples, rivets, tacks, to name a few. It should be noted that when the baskets are properly positioned and allowed to come to rest, marbles falling from the track ends 25 will be captured by the baskets 27.

In playing the game using the amusement device 11, the baskets 27 are pushed to start them swinging to-and-fro in an are which includes a plane coincident with the longitudinal axis of associated ones of the tracks 17. The marbles 13 are then started rolling along the tracks 15 from an initiating end 33 by pushing, for example. Where the roof 17 is inclined toward the terminating edge 31, the marbles may merely be released to roll by themselves.

If the timing is correct, the baskets will be below the terminating ends 25 just as the marbles reach that position and the marbles will be captured. Of course, the trajectory of the marbles after leaving their respective tracks depends on the speed of each marble as it rolls along the track. Consequently, a skill must be acquired by persons playing the game in order to correctly judge when to release or push the marbles so that they are caught by the swinging baskets.

The object of the game may be to see which player can catch more marbles, each starting with the same number. Of course, it should be understood that although two tracks and associated baskets are shown. a housing including a single track and basket, as well as one one including three or more tracks and baskets, may be constructed.

With reference to FIG. 2, another embodiment of the invention 51 is illustrated wherein a manually operated lever 53 is attached at the end of an elongated rod 55 which is rotatably held by end straps 57 to the leg members 21. The cords 29 are tied or otherwise attached to the rod 55 at appropriate positions therealong, and the lever 53 is moved back and forth between two limit posts 59 untilthe baskets have the desired amount of swing. The excursion of the moving baskets may, of course, be boosted from time to time.

The manual lever operation may be replaced by a motor gear housing 71 attached by brackets 73 to the game structure 19 in accordance with still another embodiment of the invention designated 75 in FIG. 3. The rod 55 is now turned in a relatively small arc in oscillatory fashion by a conventional gear train of the motor gear housing 71, the motor portion of the latter being either an electrical or a mechanical type.

The materials used in the fabrication of the various embodiments of the invention are not critical and any generally considered suitable for the purpose may be used. For example, the structure 19 may be constructed from such materials as plastic, wood, prestwood, to name but a few.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that the invention provides a new and useful amusement device for children and adults alike.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, other organizations of the embodiments shown may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An amusement device utilizing rolling bodies such as marbles and the like, said device comprising: track means including a rolling body track having an initiating end and a terminating end for guiding said rolling bodies therealong; and receptacle means including a rolling body receptacle having a continuous upstanding rim bounding the entire periphery thereof and swingably suspended below said terminating end of said rolling body track.

2. An amusement device according to claim 1, wherein said device also includes a receptacle swinging member mounted perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said rolling body track; wherein said rolling body receptacle is suspended by a cord on opposite sides thereof, said cords being attached to said receptacle-swinging member at positions allowing said 3. An amusement device according to claim 2, wherein a motor gear mechanism is attached to an end of said receptacle-swinging member to rotate said member back and forth and thereby swing said receptacle. 

1. An amusement device utilizing rolling bodies such as marbles and the like, said device comprising: track means including a rolling Body track having an initiating end and a terminating end for guiding said rolling bodies therealong; and receptacle means including a rolling body receptacle having a continuous upstanding rim bounding the entire periphery thereof and swingably suspended below said terminating end of said rolling body track.
 2. An amusement device according to claim 1, wherein said device also includes a receptacle swinging member mounted perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of said rolling body track; wherein said rolling body receptacle is suspended by a cord on opposite sides thereof, said cords being attached to said receptacle-swinging member at positions allowing said receptacle to swing to-and-fro along an arc having its origin adjacent said terminating end; and wherein said device further includes a handle attached to an end of said receptacle-swinging member to rotate said member back and forth and thereby swing said receptacle.
 3. An amusement device according to claim 2, wherein a motor gear mechanism is attached to an end of said receptacle-swinging member to rotate said member back and forth and thereby swing said receptacle. 